De Jong will start this Sunday at the Bernabéu. Then, the best version of the Dutch will be expected again because everyone is aware that there is a pearl there. But he has to let go and express himself much more in the field. De Jong’s paradox is that everyone thought he was coming to give Barça a new march. But what he has had to do is take off a gear. De Jong touched the ball 51 times in San Paolo. Very far from the 134 of Busquets, named Man of the Match of the match, 69 of Rakitic or even 74 of Arturo Vidal. There was no sign of that vibrant player that broke lines with its conductions and that filled the Ajax game with freshness until it became the most fun team in the last Champions League. Instead of giving vitality to the team, De Jong has had to adapt to the pasty pace of veteran Barça, in which also Setién has radicalized the desire for possession. De Jong gave 43 good passes in Naples. Busquets made 110, almost triple. Indicate where the Barça game moved. Piqué and Umtiti gave 114 and 113 passes respectively. That means that the defensive triangle of Barça gave 337 touches, which added to the 77 of Semedo and the 49 of Junior would add 459 of the 724 that Barça gave, more than 63% of Barça’s passes. Frenkie De Jong went unnoticed by a soccer temple like San Paolo. Bad news and involution for a player who a year earlier, in the knockout stages of the Champions League, presented himself to the world against Real Madrid and in the quarterfinals dominated the tie against Juventus. Elected best UEFA European midfielder this summer, it is difficult to understand the secondary role in which De Jong is corseted, a player who looked happy and loose, seems to play with chains right now. In many games nothing weighs in the game. More concerned with not disturbing than otherwise, he limits himself to strictly fulfilling his tactical role.read more

When they told him that he was going to jail: “It was a hard blow, I never imagined that I would go through such a situation. All my life I have sought to reach the highest professional level and bring joy to people with my football.”I wanted to return to Brazil: “Our flight was scheduled for Saturday, March 7 at three in the morning because it was going to my son’s birthday. I don’t know about what happened next.”His life in prison: “All the people with whom I had the opportunity to share in the Association have received me with kindness; playing soccer, autographs, photos … is part of my life. I would have no reason to stop doing it, much more with people who they were having a difficult time, just like me. “The justice of Paraguay: “We hope that they can use and confirm everything that we bring to our position in the case and that we can get out of this situation as soon as possible.”The first thing you will do when you return: “The first thing will be to give a big kiss to my mother, who has been living through these difficult days since the start of the pandemic at home. Then we will have to absorb the impact that this situation has generated and move on.” For the first time since he was released from the Paraguayan prison, from the hotel where he is currently under house arrest, former soccer player Ronaldinho has spoken to the media, in this case with ABC Color, especially what happened in the last weeks. The Brazilian is confident that the matter will be settled soon.ABC Color ‘); return false; “class =” item-multimedia “>ABC Color cover from April 27, 2020.ABC Color Reason for the trip to Paraguay: “Everything we do is under contracts managed by my brother, who is my representative. We came to participate in the launch of an online casino as specified in the contract and for the launch of the book Craque da Vilda, organized by the company in Brazil that has the rights to exploit the book in Paraguay. “At which point they discovered that their documents were illegal: “We were totally surprised to learn that the documents were not legal. Since then, our intention has been to collaborate with the courts to clarify the fact as we have been doing it from the beginning. From that moment until today we have explained everything and facilitated everything that the justice has not requested. “read more

Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Jake says relationship with Shaina ‘goes beyond physical attraction’ Being under contract in the Chinese Basketball Association’s Xinjiang Flying Tigers, Reyes and the rest of the Filipinos has Blatche in his best form.In his last two games in China, Blatche averaged 25 points and 12.5 rebounds against topnotch competition, definitely higher than what the Filipinos will encounter in their first two Fiba matches against Japan and Chinese Taipei.“He played 30-32 minutes [on average in the last two games in China], so he’s in pretty good shape,” Reyes said.The Filipinos fly out on Wednesday and will be looking to keep an impressive record going against the Japanese, who will be bannered by their own naturalized player, 6-foot-5 shooting guard Ira Brown, and the talented 6-foot-10 center Joji Takeuchi.The match against the Taiwanese happens on Nov. 27, also at the Big Dome.ADVERTISEMENT Kiss-and-tell matinee idol’s conquests: True stories or tall tales? Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Andray Blatche finally joined the Gilas Pilipinas training on Sunday. Unlike in the previous times, he looked very much in game shape.But Blatche has less than a week to relearn the system and make Gilas play at full strength against Japan as the first window of the Fiba World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers starts Friday in Tokyo.ADVERTISEMENT LATEST STORIES World Seniors: Antonio places second Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard PLAY LIST 02:14Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard02:56NCRPO pledges to donate P3.5 million to victims of Taal eruption00:56Heavy rain brings some relief in Australia02:37Calm moments allow Taal folks some respite03:23Negosyo sa Tagaytay City, bagsak sa pag-aalboroto ng Bulkang Taal01:13Christian Standhardinger wins PBA Best Player award Margot Robbie talks about filming ‘Bombshell’s’ disturbing sexual harassment scene OSG plea to revoke ABS-CBN franchise ‘a duplicitous move’ – Lacson It’s too early to present Duterte’s ‘legacy’ – Lacson Jake says relationship with Shaina ‘goes beyond physical attraction’ “We basically had to go back, almost, to square one, because we’re doing things that he (Blatche) is just picking up now,” coach Chot Reyes said after the first of two practice sessions on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.Club commitments in China forced Blatche to arrive late after camp started on Nov. 3.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSRedemption is sweet for Ginebra, Scottie ThompsonSPORTSMayweather beats Pacquiao, Canelo for ‘Fighter of the Decade’SPORTSBack on the throne“That’s why we’re going to have two practices [on Sunday], so he could catch up,” Reyes added.In Blatche’s previous stints with Gilas, the 6-foot-11 former Brooklyn Net in the NBA was out of shape, having been away for a considerable amount of time. MOST READ View comments Steam emission over Taal’s main crater ‘steady’ for past 24 hours Coco’s house rules on ‘Probinsyano’ set Jo Koy: My brain always wants to think funnyread more

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf yesterday received the United Nations Systems Coordinator for Ebola virus disease, Dr. David Nabarro, at her Foreign Ministry office. He was accompanied by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to Liberia, Karen Landgren and the Representative of World Health Organization to Liberia, Peter Graff.The United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon in August appointed Dr. Nabarro as Senior UN Systems Coordinator for Ebola, prompting his first visit to the most affected countries of the outbreak. He is currently concluding visits to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia to assess the Ebola response, receive updates and brief the leaders of the three worse affected countries.According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf briefed Dr. Nabarro on the current state of Liberia’s fight against the further spread of the disease and expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far. She also attributed the progress to the combined efforts of the government, the people of Liberia and the country’s many partners including the United Nations.“Our main concern is to transition from treatment to prevention, strengthen contact tracing, enhance community involvement, promote education and awareness about the disease and begin the process of strengthening the regular healthcare system to stop the spread of the virus. The existence of treatment centers must be integrated with more prevention initiatives,” President Sirleaf stressed.She informed the UN Ebola Coordinator that Liberia has set for itself an ambitious goal of “Zero New Cases” by Christmas and stressed the need for a common reporting and information sharing system among the three worst affected countries.Dr. Nabarro said he was pleased with the great news about Ebola decline in Liberia and pointed out that this was a great relief. He warned that despite the progress, Liberia must avoid complacency, control the anxiety and take note of the risk factors.Dr. Nabarro briefed President Sirleaf about the Ebola state of affairs in Guinea and Sierra Leone and suggested that regional coordination is required now more than ever before in the war against Ebola and committed the UN System to supporting Liberia’s recovery plan as Ebola is being defeated.“My mandate from the Secretary General was clear. Stop the spread of the virus; help attend to the wellbeing of the Liberian people and help the government address the economic consequences of the outbreak,” he disclosed adding, “From all indications in Liberia, this is being achieved through the strong leadership of President Sirleaf and her government.”Dr. Nabarro informed President Sirleaf that African Union is currently providing additional training for healthcare workers mainly from Nigeria and Ethiopia to be deployed to the affected countries to strengthen current interventions to eradicate the virus.He emphasized that key policy issues such benefits for victims and survivors of the Ebola disease must be regionalized to enhance and promote coordination among the countries.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)read more

There is something about harnessing the latent energy of young people for peaceful conduct of the next Presidential and Parliamentarian elections that we believe has not yet been revealed or dialogued about, something that the rest of us need to know.Young people need to know from all the presidential aspirants what they have in stock for sustainable peace and what role young people would or should play in the upcoming elections.In a world where divisive politics and unholy partnerships are derailing governments, harnessing the latent energy of young people can play a bigger role in resolving electoral conflicts and violence. At Messengers of Peace (MOP)-Liberia, we would continue to preach reconciliation and advocate for conflict mediation in schools and communities.The young people in Liberia should be committed to the notion that their pursuit of sustainable peace can be harnessed to solve many of the country’s most pressing challenges. Young people should step forward to develop projects that would address electoral challenges. Young people should mobilize themselves and others to vote according to the dictates of their conscience and conviction.Elections to public offices should not be based on tribal, religious or other forms of affiliation but based on transparency, fairness and objectivity of purpose to serve. Our politics should be based on trust not reprisal, action not words and commitment to the upliftment of Liberia not money. It is not how much money is shared but how many persons reached for sustainable peace.Peace consolidation is quiet often driven by young people, who most of the time volunteer their talents, resources and skills to conflict mediation, peace advocacy, reporting on triggers to violence and providing assistance to others.Mounting evidence points to a powerful tool for staying on track in everything that we do. As young people we need to choose habits that increase our love and peace for the country. We also need to commit our energy towards peaceful elections in October 2017.Anecdotal reports show that young people are most ideal interlocutors to deliver constructive electoral messages about participatory processes, promoting dialogue necessary to build trust, civic responsibility and solidarity. It is our position at MOP-Liberia that partnership with young people should never be used to serve other political goals or organizational mandate. On the contrary, partnership is best served by strong government agencies and international NGOs, acting for the good of all.In the words of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “The interconnected nature of today’s crises requires us to connect our own efforts for peace and security, sustainable development and human rights, not just in words, but also in practice.” Harnessing the latent energy of young people requires us to connect, as the synergy of our efforts would result in a peaceful electoral outcome.Until next week when we come to you with another of our series on harnessing the latent energy of young people for peaceful elections-Part IV, let peace be your watch work, peace first, peace above all else. May peace prevail on earth!A mission to make a difference-February editionShare this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)read more

A physically-challenged frog hunter was on Friday, September 21, allegedly shot and killed by another hunter, later identified as Saye Sonwabi. The incident occurred in Leesonnon Don Town, near Saclepea City, Nimba County.According to Radio Saclepea, the deceased identified as Matthew Bob Dolo, 50, was on a frog hunting expedition to feed his coup (group of persons) that had gone on his farm to work when he was mistaken for a deer, by Sonwabi, under the cover of darkness, and shot to death using a single-barrier hunting gun.After he noticed that Bob Dolo had died of wounds from the pellets, the radio report said that Saye Sonwabi ran to town and reported himself to local authorities that he saw the Bob Dolo sitting on a log, under the covered by darkness, “so I mistook him for a deer and fired him without hesitation, only to realize the object was a human being.”The death of Bob Dolo brought sorrow to his family and sympathizers.Those who knew him told the local radio station that, despite being physically challenged, the late Bob Dolo was so caring for his family by doing home chores with his one hand.“It is so sad that this disabled man died in such a sorrowful way,” remarked a sympathizer who called on the radio phone-in program.Meanwhile Police in Saclepea said it has commenced an investigation into the incident, even though many of the callers on the show claimed that Bob Dolo was mistakenly killed during his hunting expedition.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)read more

The four political leaders after signing the pact (from left): Benoni Urey (ALP), Alexander Cummings (ANC), Joseph N. Boakai (UP) and Charles W. Brumskine (LP)-Unifying for a common purposeBy Gloria T. Tamba and William Q. HarmonWhat could be considered as a historic political collaboration in the life of Liberian politics was consummated in Monrovia yesterday as four of the top five political parties, which emerged out of the 2017 presidential and representative elections, came together and forged a common front.The former ruling Unity Party (UP), which emerged runners-up in the last presidential elections, Liberty Party (LP), Alternative National Congress (ANC) and all Liberian Party (ALP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin a nascent political collaborative for future elections, especially the ensuing 2020 senatorial elections across the country and the 2023 presidential and general elections. All these efforts, according to officials of the unifying parties, are geared towards unseating the ruling CDC, which they think has no solution for the numerous problems that the country faces.These opposition leaders and many other Liberians are unhappy with the manner in which the CDC-led government is running the country as they believe that there is no sign of relief from the current economic hardship in the country, precipitated by the ever-rising prices of basic commodities and high inflation; unemployment, especially among the youth, is at its highest; there is no sign of a major foreign direct investment to boost the economy.These unfortunate situations, with a year having already elapsed under the new government, are causes for concern and have prompted major political actors in the opposition community to begin their collaboration, which is aimed at being not just an alternative for future governance but a critical voice that would checkmate the ruling establishment.The MOU, dubbed by the collaborators as “Statement of Commitment,” was signed at the headquarters of the Unity Party and is the first step to ensure that the country moves forward as a functional democratic state.The opposition political leaders and standard bearers of their respective parties included Alexander B. Cummings (ANC), former Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai (UP), Benoni Urey (ALP) and Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine (LP); each signed on behalf of their respective political institutions. They pledged to uphold the MOU, putting aside personal political ambitions, and ensure that the will of the Liberian people, especially partisans of the parties, are adhered to.ALP’s political leader and standard bearer Urey was declared the first rotating chairman. According to the agreement, the four leaders are convinced that a fair, transparent and competitive democratic process is vital to Liberia’s long-term prosperity and security, recognizing the role of political parties as indispensable partners in national development as well as strengthening Liberia’s young democracy.Urey, in a statement, termed the signing of the MOU as a historic moment for Liberia. The venue of the signing ceremony, Unity Party’s headquarters, the chairman noted, signified the first sign of unity by the four political leaders, noting that they have decided to put the country first and their respective political ambitions aside in the interest of the Liberian masses.“Today, we are signing a document that begins the process of the unity we have been craving for years. We have decided to put Liberia first and to attune our political agenda in the interest of Liberia and the Liberian people, and above our individual and partisan ambitions. We are taking the bold and concrete step which we hope will never be reversed or undone,” Urey said.With the signing of the document, he said, history was being made and Liberians would reap the impending fruits.“Today Liberia is once again making history. Over the years we have heard the clarion call from Liberians both at home and abroad and also the call from our international partners of the need for the opposition to unite.”The historic signing ceremony, he added, indicates that the parties are moving from strength to strength, which is increasing, and must not be allowed to wither.The tough-talking ALP leader urged his colleagues to commit to the process to liberate the Liberian people from bad governance and under-representation. “We are soliciting the help of our people by their insistence of our continuation of this collaboration. We as a people must ensure that our political leaders put the interest of the country and people paramount to theirs,” he said.He said the new arrangement must be prepared to sacrifice whatever it takes to implant and sustain this democracy and beyond, “to save our common patrimony, Liberia. We all have made mistakes and missteps in the past. This has led us to where we are today. Fortunately, for us as a people, we have been given a new lease on life to correct our dark past,” he said.As part of the MOU, the four leaders expressed awareness of the weight and strength of the political leaders’ collaborative and collective opinions on matters of national leadership, the rule of law, and accountability, which are pillars of good governance.“This collaboration is a further affirmation of our commitment to democracy, and it must be seen in a positive light by all Liberians and those looking from the outside,” he indicated.However, the four leaders could not tolerate the recent accusations by President George Manneh Weah, CDC Chairman Mulbah Morlu, and other ruling party zealots that opposition leaders want to assassinate the president. Each of them took turns to dismiss what they described as “imbecile assertions.”“As we set out on this incline along our sojourn to democracy, we want to attract the parody and rants of apprehensive and hypocritical hordes hurling their aspersions of, to name a few, ‘enemies of the state’, ‘assassins,’” Urey said.He added that even though worst things have been said about the opposition community, “we will be inured to those antics and enjoin them to come with us to broaden and deepen our democracy, and not to destroy or bury it. We would rather be engaged in the constructive exercise of nation-building and alleviating the burdens from our people.”The ceremony was graced by scores of partisans from the four parties, several lawmakers from the collaborating parties and some independent representatives, and members of the Diplomatic Corps. Some of the lawmakers at the event were senators Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence of Grand Bassa County; Steve Zargo of Lofa, Oscar Cooper of Margibi and Sando Dazo Johnson of Bomi County. Representatives were Yekeh Kolubah (Montserrado #10), Hanson Kiazolu (Montserrado #17), David Barshell (Montserrado #3), Lawrence Morris (Montserrado #1), Francis Nyumalin (Lofa #3) and several others.Also in attendance was renowned human rights activist Samuel K. Woods, Rufus Neufville and the spokesman for the Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL) Emmanuel Gonquoi.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)read more

Sittings of National Assembly…says spending of taxpayers’ money on new capital projects, policies “unlawful”With the passage of several bills during the parliamentary Opposition’s absence of the 112th sitting of the 11th Parliament, a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) frontbencher has made it clear that only certain bills can be passed in the house under current circumstances.In an interview with Guyana Times, former Attorney General and Opposition parliamentarian Anil Nandlall made it clear that after a Government falls to a no-confidence vote, the current circumstances in question, it cannot be “business as usual.”“Naturally, Government is expected to provide the basic services of the state to theFormer Attorney General Anil Nandlallcitizens, which are public security, public health, public utilities, payment of salaries of public servants, etc…”Besides these basic services, Nandlall made it clear that Government also has to give the highest priority to preparing the electoral machinery, in the form of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for elections within three months.“Any bills which are necessary to accomplish those objectives ought to be passed. However, the Government will have no authority to bring in new legislation that are unrelated to those matters to which I made reference,” Nandlall said.“Government cannot embark on new capital projects and cannot begin implementing new policies; more so, those that cannot be completed in time for elections. Any expenditure of public funds on those types of projects can be regarded as unlawful and may attract criminal liability,” he added.On Thursday, the Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill No 20 of 2018; the Capital Gains (Amendment) Bill; the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill and the Natural Resources Fund of 2018 were all passed in the National Assembly.While Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland called for those in favour and against these bills to speak up, only the ‘I’s from the Government side were heard. That is because the PPP parliamentarians boycotted the sitting on account of its unconstitutionality.Government statusOn December 21, 2018, the No-confidence Motion brought by the parliamentary Opposition against the Government succeeded when Charrandas Persaud, a former AFC Member of Parliament, broke rank and made a conscience vote in favour of the motion.With the Government’s defeat, the Constitution of Guyana is clear about the next steps. Article 106 (6) of the Constitution states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”Meanwhile, clause 7 goes on to state that “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”Since the passage of the motion on December 21, however, persons aligned with the coalition party have sought to question the motion’s validity even as the vote has already been certified.In addition, Government has insisted it is going nowhere until elections are held. A court case was filed on Friday, in which an order is being sought to, among other things, delay the elections until the court rules on the matter.read more

The Petroleum Club Game didn’t see quite as close a final score. Tom’s Construction won their first-ever Petroleum Club game against Northern Vac 8-3. Photo by Heather Theede Photography Photo by Heather Theede Photography Photo by Heather Theede Photography Photo by Heather Theede Photography FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — It was an exciting three days of hockey action at the North Peace Arena for the 14th Annual Fort St. John Petroleum Association 4-on-4 hockey tournament.Five finals were played on Saturday, the lineups were determined based on the standings of the round robin.In the D&T Disposal Game between the two 5th place finishers of both the Black Ace and V.E Brandl Divisions, TCL () defeated D&D Insulators 9-5.- Advertisement -Complete Pumpjack Services doubled up Magnum Oilfield 6-3 in the Sexsmith Financial Game between 4th place finishers.The Baker Hughes Game was won by Fort Motors from the Black Ace Division, defeating the V.E Brandl Division’s Distribution Now 8-6.The Jiffy Lube Game between last year’s top winners Cabre Oilfield and the 2015 winning team Ditmarsia was a nail-biter of a game. Cabre ended up victorious after getting the victory 3-2 in a shootout.Advertisementread more